How Far?
by But I Have Promises To Keep
Summary: How far would you go to save someone you love?
1. Chapter 1

**So, I was board and thirty minutes later GUESS what I found? The Hunters? Zero? the guy from love and bullets who kills prostitutes with a hammer? All real. Creepy, huh? I'm gonna see if any of our other favorite antagonists are real, and I'll post it if I find any.**

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><p>Mal drove through the rainy streets of San Francisco after dropping Natara off after work, taking a back road to his apartment since the way he usually went was flooded. 'What the heck is with all this rain' Mal thought. It had been pouring down rain for several days now, enough so that some of the streets were flooded. There were only a few cars in front of and behind him, and no one walking in the streets. Mal slowed to a stop as he approached an intersection, looking around as he waited for the light to change. Up ahead he could see a figure walking, hobbling more like it as they were on crutches, about a hundred yards ahead. 'Who would be walking in this weather?' he thought. Suddenly the light changed, and the car in front of him sped forward. As the car went by it splashed water on the figure, clearly soaking them. Despite a lifetime of warnings of how dangerous it was to pick up hitch-hikers, Mal took pity on the figure and slowed as he neared the figure. 'I'm a cop' he told himself 'I think I can handle it'. The figure hobbled over, opening the door a fraction. "Isn't good weather for a walk" Mal said. He was glad he stopped. The figure was revealed to be an old man, hobbling along on crutches. His white hair was plastered to his head with rain, and he was soaking wet.<br>"Thank you" he wheezed "most people wouldn't help an old man like this".  
>Mal smiled at him "No problem. Where're you heading?".<br>"Just up the road" said the man, laying his crutches awkwardly next to him. Mal pulled away, driving up the road and stopping once again at another intersection. As he stopped her heard a sharp click, turning his head to see the man was holding a revolver close to his head.  
>"Keep driving" he said forcefully, the wheezy voice he had before suddenly vanishing. "Keep driving, and no one gets hurt".<p>

Natara came into work the next day, brushing the rain from her coat. 'Thanks a lot Mal' she thought 'Forget to pick me up, make me stand outside for the bus…' these thoughts were cut off as she walked in, and everyone was staring at her. "What?" she said angrily.  
>Amy bit her lip "Natara, you haven't heard from Mal have you?".<br>"No, not since last night. I have a bone to pick with him though, he neglected to tell me he wasn't picking me up today". The others continued to stare.  
>"What?" she said, getting annoyed.<br>"Natara, Mal isn't here" said Ken "No one could get a hold if him last night, and I checked his apartment this morning just to be sure. Amy just traced his cell phone, and-".  
>But Amy cut him off "Mal's gone! His cars been driven into a ditch, and there's no sign of him! We can't find him anywhere!".<br>'No, No…' Natara thought, taking a step back in shock. 'This can't be, Mal's just behind that door. I'm going to freak out, and he's going to step out laughing. I'm going to call him a jerk, and he's going to laugh even harder…'. But Mal didn't step out from the door. Not even when Natara took another step back in shock, running into a table. Not when two words ran through her head, pulsating in her brain like a heartbeat 'He's gone…he's gone…he's gone…'. 

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><p><strong>Sorry this is so short for the first chapter, I want to have a big update tomorrow and it's pretty late where I'm at.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**I found more of our antagonists. Genevieve Collins herself is not real, but several studies that show how most times the abuse that serial killers suffer is at the hand if their mother. Shawn Mallory isn't real, but there are FBI agents who went rouge. I even found one who helped mobs/gangs who he was supposed to be stopping, and he even looks like Shawn. I don't know about the Ladykiller, but I do know theirs a killer who was on '_Dexter_' often on shows like that the killers are based on real killers) the ritual was fairly similar, but I won't go into details because its pretty gruesome…(Just saying, this show is NOT for teens/kids. I've only seen parts of it, and lets just day some thing can NOT be unseen...)**

**Review Replies:**

_**SVUProductions:**_  
><strong>I agree, it is beginning to get a bit creepy. Thanks for the review!<strong>

_**CauseOfDeathIsGreat: **_  
><strong>Thanks, I was trying to make it sound like the old man was going to do something…thanks for reviewing!<strong>

_**mozzi-girl:**_  
><strong>Thanks for the constructive criticism, I do struggle with things like that. Thanks for the review!<strong> 

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><p>"Why are you doing this?" Mal questioned the man as he forced him out of the car.<br>"Not so fast" said the man as Mal began to get out. "Your gun, hand it over. I know you have one".  
>"What makes you say that?".<br>The man scowled at him "I can see your badge Detective, now slide it out of your holster and let it fall on the floor".  
>Mal scowled "And if it goes off when I drop it?".<br>"Then your the one who's in the line of fire, aren't you?" the man said. Very slowly, Mal obeyed. "Now kick it under the gas pedal". Reluctantly, Mal obeyed. "Now get out slowly". Once again Mal did as told, hating himself for it. "Hands above your head!". Mal folded his hands behind his head, a feeling he hated, for it made him vulnerable to attack. He watched as the man came around the other side, watched as he kept one eye on him as he briefly glanced at the car. It was precariously perched on the side of a deep ditch at a campground, which was closed due to flooding. The man no longer had his crutches, clearly that aspect if him was fake too. Used only to evoke pity in him. He lifted one foot, putting it on the bumper and pushing. It only moved a fraction of an inch, but that was all it needed. The tires slid across the wet earth, and the car plummeted down side and into the flooded creek below. He turned to Mal, who was now soaked, keeping his revolver steady. He came closer to Mal, grabbing the back if his collar and forcing him to have his back to him. He roughly shoved him forward, forcing him to look at the ground.  
>"Why are you doing this?" Mal roared "What do you possibly have to gain?".<br>"I'm sorry" the man said, his voice softer than earlier "I _have_ to save Juliet. I can't lose her. _I just can't_. She's all I have left. I'm _so_ sorry".

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><p>Hours later Natara stood apart from the others, seeing the wreckage that was once Mal's car embedded in the mud. "I found this about an hour ago" said the park ranger who had come out to meet them. Amy had called her earlier when she traced Mal's phone, and the ranger had gone out to confirm the location of Mal's car. She had just ended her call, hearing the fate of Mal's car, just before she told Natara.<br>"And you didn't see anyone?" Amy asked.  
>"No, I was responding to a call about a deer stuck in the mud. Poor thing drowned. They must have snuck in while I was out" she said. Natara was in shock. She felt the rain pelt down on her back, not even noticing that Amy, holding an umbrella, came up behind her. "You weren't there" she said "There was noting you could have done".<br>But she knew, if she was there she could have done something. Something that would have change things, meaning Mal would be here right now.  
>"I should have been" she said "If I had been there, I could have done something".<br>"But you weren't" Amy pointed out "And all we can do now is find him".


	3. Chapter 3

All Mal could do was obey the man for now. Clearly his age was real, but he was fairly able-bodied despite of it. He knew he could easily overpower him, but he remembered what he had said earlier. Something about someone named Juliet. Yes, he was beyond angry with this man, but he wasn't about to let a girl die because of it. The man had taken him to another part of the campground, where a second car was waiting. Obviously it was so people didn't recognize Mal's car, as surely people were looking for them now. The sun was already rising, he had been missing for hours now. An hour later Mal was forced into driving, the old man still diligently training his gun at him.  
>"You know, when you kidnap someone you usually at least tell them why" Mal said, trying to think of a plan as the man was distracted. He kept his eyes on the road, but knew the man was watching intently.<br>"Do you have children…?"  
>"Mal" he said "Mal Fallon. And I hardly think that's important".<br>The man sighed "If you do, you'd know that you'd do anything to protect them". The man's voice began to shake. "I did some bad things when I was a teenager, stupid things. One of them led to ending a man's life. I didn't know that man was a father…that I took him away from his only son. That child, he took my daughter away. He told me if I could find a replacement, he would kill them instead of Juliet. He's toying with me, he wants to see if an old man like me can take the life of another. See if I can kill _again_".  
>"So you'd let an innocent stranger die, just so you could save your child?".<br>The old man look taken back "You're obviously not a father".  
>"What makes you say that?".<br>"You don't understand. Understand that you won't let _anything_ happen to your child, not matter the cost" the man said.  
>Mal briefly glanced over at the man, seeing now the stress lines that ran across his face. "I bet they told you not to involve the police either." The man nodded. "Then you picked the right man to kidnap. Normally you'd be shot dead right now, but I'm going to help you".<br>"You are?".  
>"I made a vow to protect the public, and right now, you and Juliet <em>are<em> the public".

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><p><strong>Sorry it's so short…writers block on chapter two…not good. I know what I want to happen, I just can't seem to get what I'm thinking onto the page.<br>**


	4. Chapter 4

_December 12th, 1978_

"Dude, you can't drive! Your totally drunk, Mike!".  
>But Michael didn't listen. Smiling stupidly and waving, he took a long time trying to get his keys in the ignition. He didn't know he wouldn't make it past two intersection away from the house where that part was. Or that as he tried to stop, his wheels would skid across the wet road. Or that just before he hit the car going the opposite way on the other side of the road, he would make eye contact with the man he hit. Or that he would be the last person to look into those eyes.<p>

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><p><em>Present<em>

"Michael!" Mal yelled, pulling the old man out of his daze. Despite the fact that Mal had said he was going to help him, he still held his gun to him as he drove just in case. Mal pulled over and slowly turned to face the man. "Before we go any further, I need to know everything about who took Juliet".  
>"Like what?".<br>"Like their demands, how and when they took Juliet, stuff like that".  
>The old man's eyes briefly dropped "They said not to involve the police".<br>"Yeah, I got that" Mal spat, hoping the old man's mind wasn't starting to go "But it's to late for that. I am the police, and now I'm involved. What else?".  
>"He picked Juliet up from college about a month ago. Said I was at the hospital, and he was a family friend. She fell for it" he said hollowly "She's been missing ever since, he's only been keeping her for so long to toy with me".<br>"How do you know this?". Michael reached into the inner pocket if his jacket, pulling out a small slip of paper in a plastic bag and handing it to Mal.  
>"I got this in a plastic sealed bag in a envelope about a month ago. It told me every thing". Mal took the bag, looking over the demands. That the police aren't contacted of Juliet would be killed. That an exchange could be made, and innocent life just like he took, and his own.<br>"You didn't say they wanted you too" Mal said.  
>"What?" Michael said.<br>"They said _'to spare an innocent life, you must give another in addition to your own'_". Mal pointed out. Michael fell silent, but suddenly asked in a hushed tone "Do you have a plan?".  
>Mal nodded "Are you willing to risk everything for her? To save her life?".<br>Michael responded "Your a cop, you do that every day for strangers".  
>"That's my job".<br>"And I'm a father" Michael said "That's_ my_ job".


	5. Chapter 5

**So, I know I said in 'Risk' I was going to discontinue this, but I can't. As much as I'm growing to dislike this plot line, I hate abandoning my stories. I only have one review reply: **

**MaltaraFluff647:**  
><strong>Thanks so much! I was actually going to delete this story, just end it, and then literally seconds before I logged onto Fanfiction to delete it I was like "I doubt I got a review, but I'll check anyways". So I went on my e-mail and was like "OH MY GOD!". Thanks so much! You, literally, saved this story from death by delete button.<strong>

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><p>"Natara!" yelled Amy "what are you doing?". She cupped her hands around her mouth so Natara could hear her "Get back here, it's freezing! You'll catch a cold!".<br>Natara had her pants rolled up, and was knee deep in the stream and trying to get inside Mal's car, which was still stuck in the mud. She was holding the bag of dark fingerprinting dust, a brush and the fingerprint tape as if they were something incredible precious and irreplaceable. "You said you needed fingerprints!" she yelled back.  
>"I didn't say NOW!" she yelled.<br>"The quicker we get prints, the quicker we find Mal!" Natara yelled back. She pried open the door, making more water rush in. Her pants now thoroughly soaked to the thigh, she crawled in, keeping to powder from the water.  
>"Do you even know what you're doing?" Amy screamed louder, so Natara could hear her over the rushing water.<br>"I'm with the freaking FBI, I think I can take a fingerprint!" she yelled. Making sure the rain and water didn't touch the dust, she carefully spread the dark dust across the steering wheel and door handles. She got a few prints and a few partial prints, and quickly used the tape to pick them up. Then she saw something in the corner of her eye, something shoved half-under the seat, half on the floor. A metal pair of crutches, half underwater. Shoving the remaining brush, tape and powder in her pocket, she used her shirt to sheild her own fingerprints from the crutches as she picked them up. Very carefully she crawled up the slippery slope, handing the prints she took to Amy as she got back onto solid ground. The rain had, thankfully, stopped, although Natara was so soaked this hardly mattered at this point.  
>"What's that?" she asked, indicating to the crutches.<br>"I found them on the passenger side" Natara said, her voice slightly hoarse from yelling to Amy said "I think Mal's abductor was in the car with him, forcing him to drive".  
>Amy looked confused, a rarity for her "How did someone with crutches manage to take Mal?".<br>"My guess? They were faking". 

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><p>"This is the place?" Mal asked, pulling up to what looked like an abandoned barn in the middle of the desolate fields they had been driving through for the past half hour.<br>Michael nodded "Yes, I got a phone call from a blocked number a few days ago, giving me final instructions".  
>Mal put the car in park, killing the engine and plunging the world into ominous silence.<br>"You know the plan. Let's go get your daughter back".


	6. Chapter 6

**So, I'm not going to write out big review replies since most of them are scoldings for almost deleting this story (which are the reason I'm still writing this)…but anyone who reviewed, thanks for the peer pressure :P Let me just say: Wow. I didn't think that many people would care if I stopped this. So, I guess I'm finishing this now, and please don't kill me for the ending of this chapter.**

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><p>Mal nodded for Michael to get out, and before he did he muttered "Make sure you make it look convincing". Michael nodded, slowly getting out of the car.<br>"Now get out!" yelled Micheal fake aggressively. Mal did as instructed, allowing Michael to press his gun to the back of his head sharply, holding his collar and pushing him forward.  
>"I'm here!" yelled Michael loudly "I did what you wanted!".<br>Mal watched as someone opened the door, allowing it to ominously creek open. Whoever had opened it had obviously retreated to the depths of the building. Micheal shoved Mal forward, almost making him trip.  
>"Lighten up" he hissed "any sudden movements and we're all dead".<br>"You said to make it look convincing!" Michael hissed back. They awkwardly continued like this until Micheal whispered "Open the door!" to Mal, making sure his voice carried. Mal did as instructed, opening it ever-so-slowly. It creaked as it opened, throwing light across the dirt floor of the semi-dark barn.  
>"Juliet…" Mal could hear Michael mutter in slight shock. A girl of maybe twenty was tied to a chair, a gag preventing her from speaking and dirt obscuring her features. She barely lifted her head as her father entered, but the shock was clear in her eyes. At first it appeared that she was alone, but Mal could see a dark figure looming behind her. There was a sharp click of the safty being turned off on a gun, and the metallic gleam from the gun shone from the light of the open door.<br>"Look Juliet, your father has come for you after all" said a soft and teasing voice. The voice got louder, as if he was talking to Michael now. "Of course she didn't doubt that you would come. I however, thought different. You've already proven your disregard for another humans life, haven you?".  
>Mal could tell Michael was becoming agitated as he said "Do you want to make the exchange or not?".<br>Dragging Juliet, the man stepped out of the shadows, still pressing his gun to the girls skull.  
>"You just don't get it, do you?" he said "You don't care who you hurt, what you do to people! As long as you're alright, you're willing to trample others along the way!".<br>"I know, I was wrong" said Michael "But are you really going to shoot an innocent girl for it?".  
>"You killed my dad!" the man roared "You killed him, and you didn't even care! No one cared! <em>'Perfect Michael, he made a mistake'<em>. _'Quarterback Michael, just being a stupid kid'_! Did anyone care you killed an innocent man? Just his son! Just his poor wife! No, they just cared that you'd be out for a football season! Who's the innocent one here?".  
>"I know" Michael said "And I'm sorry".<br>"Sorry doesn't bring my dad back!". The man was clearly conflicted. He kept moving where he was training his gun. First to Juliet, then to Michael, then to Mal. Mal felt something small and metal slip into his hand, and knew there plan must have changed. He just hoped he and Michael were thinking the same thing.  
>"What do you want Michael?" asked Mal, finally speaking up "What do you want?".<br>"I-I want-" the man started, his gun currently trained on Michael.  
>"Now!" Mal roared. Michael released Mal, and Mal dove to the side. Michael did the same, and in the nick of time too, for a bullet whizzed passed him and embedded itself in the wood of the barn. Michael shot twice at the man, and Mal army-crawled to avoid the bullets to reach the girl.<br>"It's okay" he whispered as he reached her "You're safe". Her hands freed, the girl immediately removed her own gag and threw herself on the ground, imitating Mal.  
>"Michael!" Mal yelled. He and the girl were already half-way to the door, and were just getting to their feet "Go!".<br>But suddenly the world was thrown into slow motion. The man had slowly turned, clearly aiming his gun at Juliet. He fired, but someone had jumped in front of the frozen girl. Mal looked down. Michael, a clean-cut bullet hole between his eyes, was on the dirt floor. The whole room seemed to be in shock, Mal yelled one word.  
>"Run!". He and Juliet sprinted through the door, just slipping out as gunfire began. "Get in the car!" Mal yelled to the girl. She nodded, throwing herself into the passenger side. Mal fumbled with the keys, which Michael had slipped into his hands minutes before his death, and shoved them into the ignition. He floored the gas pedal, shooting like a bullet across the field. All was silent once again, accept for the steady hum of the engine and the girls weeping. Mal did nothing for Juliet, there was nothing he could do. <p>


	7. Chapter 7

Mal sped out across the field, getting to the edge of a back road before he stopped. He parked, then asked the girl "Do you know where your dad kept his phone in here?".  
>Juliet nodded. Her hand was over her mouth, tears had cut lines through the layer of dirt on her face. She reached forward and opened the glove compartment, pushed aside a layer of scrap paper and eventually pulled out a small cell phone. She offered it to Mal, but he refused.<br>"Take it, I'm going back". He reached in the glove compartment, grabbing one of the pieces of scrap paper and a spare pen. Quickly, he scribbled Natara's number on it. "I'm going back, stay in the car. Call this number and explain where I went, I'll leave the car with you so he doesn't hear me coming".  
>She girl took the paper with shaking hands. "What are you going to do?".<br>"I'm going back for him, I'm not gonna let him get away with killing your dad" Mal said.  
>"Why? He kidnapped you!" she said. She seemed somewhat disappointed with her father, but nevertheless devastated at his death. Mal didn't answer, but was already half-out of the car. He heard Juliet get out on the other side.<br>"I'm coming with you" she said.  
>Mal turned around. He had made it several yards out before she followed, and she was standing by the car.<br>"No you're not" he said without stopping.  
>He could still hear her footsteps behind him. "You don't even have a gun" she pointed out. Mal didn't answer "Who are you?" she asked. Mal stopped and turned around.<br>"Detective Mal Fallon" he said.  
>The girls eyes narrowed "So you're some sort of cop. Did my dad call you?".<br>"More like stumbled upon" Mal answered. "Get back in the car. I promised your dad you wouldn't get hurt".  
>With those last words the girl went to turn around, but before she did she said "Detective Fallon?".<br>"Yeah?"  
>The girls eyes sharpened, her features showing plain anger "You go get that son-of-a-bitch".<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Review Replies:**

**Oryt:**  
><strong>Omg, your reviews do not annoy me, they make me smile. Every. Freakin'. Time. Anyways, how I write from my IPod is going to seem unnecessarily complicated, but I share one computer between five people so I can't exactly sit around for an hour and write, or save a lot of files. First I type in notes, them email it to myself (yahoo). Then I make one file on my computer that has one random word like 'hi'. On the computer, I log into my e-mail and copy the text. Then I upload the file with the one word (onto fanfiction), erase it, then paste my story into the doc. Then upload like normal. Hope it helped, I know these are really bad instructions so if you have any questions feel free to privet message me! <strong>

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><p>"There!" Natara said, pointing to a parked car at the side of the road. Ken abruptly stopped, and they both got out and slowly approached the seemingly-empty car. Seconds later the door opened, revealing the puffy and tear streaked face of a young woman.<p>

"Miss, are you alright?" Ken asked, but Natara was focused on something else.

"Where's Mal?" she asked.

"He-he went back!" the girl cried "He doesn't even have a gun, but he went back!".

"Which way?".

Juliet pointed in the general direction which Mal had left. "He went after him, he went after the guy that killed my dad…" the girl broke down now, starting to cry once again.

"Ken, stay with her. Let me borrow your gun, I'm going after Mal".

Ken withdrew his gun from it holster and handed it to Natara, who began to walk in Mal's general direction.

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><p>"Knew you'd get here eventually" Mal said a short fifteen minutes later. He was leaning against a tree, one that was part of a long buffer strip in the field.<p>

"You're just lucky I know even _you_ aren't stupid enough to go after him without a gun" Natara responded. She pulled out Ken's gun and offered it to him. "Ken's staying with the girl, she's a little shaken up obviously, but she should be okay".

Mal paused for a moment "He wasn't a bad guy, you know".

"Who, the man who took you? Michael?".

Mal nodded "He just wanted his daughter back".

Natara smiled "I can believe that" she said. She remembered being knee deep in the mud, searching for any clues to Mal's whereabouts. Refusing to accept that he could be dead. "You'd be surprised how far people will go to save someone they love".

Mal's eyebrows raised "As of now? I don't think I'd be to surprised". He nodded his head to the general direction of the barn, which was barely visible across the horizon. "Ready?".

Drawing her gun, Natara nodded. And with that they walked towards the old building, unsure of what lied within.

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><p><strong>Sorry, I know I'm not updating at my regular time. The reason is I HATE people knowing that I'm sick (People make such a big deal about it, and it annoys me when it's me who's sick for some reason). So when<strong> **I'm sick** **I usually go to school anyways, just so my friends don't think I'm dead in some ditch somewhere since I so rarely miss school, they instantly assume I'm on my deathbed. But halfway to school I started feeling really sick, and by the time I got there I was about ready to die. So before most of my friends saw me, I went to the office to call my mother, who wasn't home. So my wonderful sister who I love picked me up, refusing to leave without me (Did I mention I love my sister?). But before she got there, it seemed like everyone I knew came into the office. So yeah, so much for quietly slipping out. So that's the reason for my odd updating time, sorry for the long explanation. **


	9. Chapter 9

"Mal" Natara whispered as they approached the barn "Be careful".  
>"Why?".<br>"From what you told me, this guy could be near a emotional breakdown. From what you described of his behavior he sounds like he was on the verge of one anyways, but after what he was just through? He didn't get the closure he wanted. He want Michael to suffer, and he didn't. Who knows the emotional toll that made on him".  
>"The poor guy" said Mal with dark sarcasm.<br>"I'm serious" she whispered "The best option might to just talk him down".  
>"Whatever you say, you're the profiler".<br>He jerked his head towards the back if the barn, clearly saying he would take the back if Natara took the front. Natara nodded.  
>"Just…be careful. This guy faced a traumatic event as a child, so he might revert to child-like behavior" Natara whispered as a final comment.<br>"Got it. Don't freak out the psycho man-child" said Mal, already walking away.  
>"Mal!" hissed Natara, clearly about to correct him. But Mal was already to far way, and if she raised her voice any higher she could startled the barns occupants. Mal walked to the back, slowly creeping in a back door and scanning the room, his gun ready. He could see Natara enter across the room, doing the same. The coppery scent of blood filled the room, and Mal didn't even look at where Michael was laying as he entered. Instead he looked to the top of the loft, where a new addition to the room had been added.<br>"I guess that's that then" said Natara, lowering her gun as she saw the body of the man who had taken Juliet, hanging from the loft by a rope noose.

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><p><em>Two Days Later<em>

Mal had returned to work, though was currently carpooling with Ken to get to work after the recent drowning of his car. He was told Juliet would be going to her aunt, Michael's sister, in Seattle to finish school. That it would also be the final place where he father would lie. Or so he thought, until he saw the girl walk timidly into the station the morning he was told she was departing.  
>"Thought you had a plane to catch" he said when he saw her. Natara, whom he had been talking to moments before, melted out of the conversation.<br>"I do" she said. She looked different now. Without the dirt and grime, her hair was revealed to be a soft chestnut color. Her face thin and defined. "I just wanted to thank you before I go" she said quietly. "And I think my dad would thank you too".  
>"Any time" said Mal. "Just promise me you won't get in trouble in Seattle".<br>She smiled "Promise". She looked like she was going to walk away, so Mal began to turn and walk away with Natara, until Juliet called his name again.  
>"Detective Fallon?".<br>Mal turned "Yeah?".  
>She looked down at her shoes, clearly unsure what to say. "I don't really know my aunt that well. If I ever- If I don't know who to-". She stopped, clearly nervous. But Mal got it, he grabbed a piece of spare paper and a pen from a nearby desk, scribbling down his number and handing it to the girl.<br>"If you ever need anything, get into any trouble, just call".  
>Juliet smiled, accepting the paper gratefully. "Thanks" she said "I better go". And with that she walked out of the station, Mal watching her go.<br>He looked down at Natara, who was smiling triumphantly. "What?" he asked her.  
>"Mal, you play it all tough" she said "But really you're just a big softy".<br>Mal rolled his eyes "Am not".  
>"Whatever you say" Natara said "But you'd make a good dad". <p>


End file.
